In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound Films
Based on Gilles Deleuze’s claim that rumor has been a “cinematographically privileged object” in early sound cinema, this essay will provide a political analysis of the representation of rumor in two early sound films in the transnational oeuvre of Fritz Lang. This interpretation of M―Eine Stadt suc...
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| Language: | English |
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European Association for American Studies
2020-12-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16481 |
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| author | Florian Zappe |
| author_facet | Florian Zappe |
| author_sort | Florian Zappe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Based on Gilles Deleuze’s claim that rumor has been a “cinematographically privileged object” in early sound cinema, this essay will provide a political analysis of the representation of rumor in two early sound films in the transnational oeuvre of Fritz Lang. This interpretation of M―Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (Germany, 1931) and Lang’s first Hollywood production Fury (USA, 1936) will show that the shift from silent to sound cinema marks not only an aesthetic and technological innovation, but also coincides with an increased political awareness in the director’s oeuvre. While his films of the silent era remain politically ambiguous and have often been accused of foreshadowing fascist themes and aesthetics, the sound films produced shortly before and after Lang’s emigration to the United States take a clear political stand with regards to the toxic effects of rumors as expressions of populist sentiments and, in this, provide a gateway to the director’s integration into American liberalism. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d411ac50ffbe47aabec84454465995cf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-d411ac50ffbe47aabec84454465995cf2025-01-06T09:08:32ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362020-12-0115410.4000/ejas.16481In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound FilmsFlorian ZappeBased on Gilles Deleuze’s claim that rumor has been a “cinematographically privileged object” in early sound cinema, this essay will provide a political analysis of the representation of rumor in two early sound films in the transnational oeuvre of Fritz Lang. This interpretation of M―Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder (Germany, 1931) and Lang’s first Hollywood production Fury (USA, 1936) will show that the shift from silent to sound cinema marks not only an aesthetic and technological innovation, but also coincides with an increased political awareness in the director’s oeuvre. While his films of the silent era remain politically ambiguous and have often been accused of foreshadowing fascist themes and aesthetics, the sound films produced shortly before and after Lang’s emigration to the United States take a clear political stand with regards to the toxic effects of rumors as expressions of populist sentiments and, in this, provide a gateway to the director’s integration into American liberalism.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16481Gilles DeleuzepopulismFritz Langrumorliberalismfilm history |
| spellingShingle | Florian Zappe In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound Films European Journal of American Studies Gilles Deleuze populism Fritz Lang rumor liberalism film history |
| title | In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound Films |
| title_full | In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound Films |
| title_fullStr | In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound Films |
| title_full_unstemmed | In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound Films |
| title_short | In the Shadow of the “Indeterminate Speech-Act”: The Populist Politics of Rumor in Fritz Lang’s Early Sound Films |
| title_sort | in the shadow of the indeterminate speech act the populist politics of rumor in fritz lang s early sound films |
| topic | Gilles Deleuze populism Fritz Lang rumor liberalism film history |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/16481 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT florianzappe intheshadowoftheindeterminatespeechactthepopulistpoliticsofrumorinfritzlangsearlysoundfilms |